NEW food hygiene ratings have been awarded to 11 of St Helens establishments, the Food Standards Agency’s website shows.

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) helps consumers choose where to eat out or shop for food by giving them clear information about a business’s hygiene standards. 

The Food Standards Agency runs the scheme in partnership with local authorities.

A food safety officer from the local authority inspects your business.

They check that it follows food hygiene law so that the food is safe to eat.

The officer then gives a food hygiene rating and the FHRS sticker shortly after the inspection.

The rating scale

The hygiene standards found at the time of inspection are rated on a scale.

Your business will get a rating from 5 to 0:

5 – hygiene standards are very good

4 – hygiene standards are good

3 – hygiene standards are generally satisfactory

2 – some improvement is necessary

1 – major improvement is necessary

0 – urgent improvement is necessary

Here are the latest ratings for venues across St Helens.

Restaurants, cafes and canteens

The following ratings have been given to seven restaurants, cafes or canteens:

• Rated 5: Roll Model CIC at Chain Lane Community Centre, Hinckley Road, St Helens; rated on April 24

• Rated 5: Poundbakery at Pound Bakery, 42 Church Street, St Helens; rated on April 22

• Rated 5: Baxter Storey @ Amazon MAN8 at Unit 1, Moore Park Way, St Helens; rated on April 15

• Rated 5: The Old Chapel at 2 Lancots Lane, St Helens; rated on April 12

• Rated 5: Meats n Treats at 311 Wargrave Road, Newton Le Willows; rated on April 3

• Rated 4: Grange Park Golf Club at Prescot Road, St Helens; rated on March 27

• Rated 3: Vigour Kitchen at 36 Bridge Street, St Helens; rated on March 27

Pubs and bars:

• Rated 5: Rainhill Ex-Servicemens Club at Rainhill Ex Servicemens Club, 561a Warrington Road, Rainhill; rated on April 18

• Rated 5: Blundells Hill Golf Club at Blundells Lane, Rainhill; rated on April 12

• Rated 4: Bull and Dog at The Bull And Dog Hotel, 2 Clock Face Road, Sutton Leach; rated on March 27

Takeaways:

• Rated 5: Chung Ku at Chang Ku, 564 Warrington Road, Rainhill; rated on April 18

How the inspections work

According to the Food Standards Agency website, the rating given by the local authority food safety officer is a snapshot of the standards of food hygiene found in a business at the time of inspection.

At the inspection, the officer will check the following three elements: 

How hygienically the food is handled – how it is prepared, cooked, re-heated, cooled and stored.

The physical condition of the business – including cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation, pest control and other facilities.

How a business manages ways of keeping food safe, looking at processes, training, and systems to ensure good hygiene is maintained. The officer can then assess the level of confidence in standards being maintained in the future.

Following a food hygiene inspection of premises, a business will be told in writing what the food hygiene rating is and why you were given this rating. This will be either at the time of inspection or within 14 days of it (this includes weekends and public holidays).

The rating shows how well a business is doing overall, based on the standards found at the time of inspection. It is the business's responsibility to follow food hygiene law at all times. This includes:

  • handling of food
  • how food is stored
  • how food is prepared
  • cleanliness of facilities
  • how food safety is managed